Forever Green, chapter 8
Billie lifted and placed he’s hand behind Steph’s neck. He was cold. This reminded Steph of when she answered the phone and he pushed her hair back for her. They moved closer. She could feel he’s breath on her face. This was the moment. Fate was going to be made. They were closer. Any second now. Their lips touched. ‘Stephanie, I thought I told you before no business to be done outside’, screamed Mr Peters causing them to lash backwards. ‘Sir, it was nothing’, Steph answered. ‘Sure it wasn’t. Now both of you get inside’, he commanded. Billie, being a gentlemen, helped Steph up and walked her back to the hall. ‘Geez, he has an attitude’, Billie gasped. ‘Tell me about it’, Steph replied. She placed her arm around Billie’s waist and slipped her fingers though he’s belt. This made Billie slightly excited and jump a little. Steph started to giggle. ‘What so funny?’, he asked as they reached the hall doors. ‘Just you are’, she told him, looking into he’s eyes. Hoping the chance to kiss him would return soon.
After a few hours of being at the formal. *and finally getting Steph and Billie to dance* the 6 of them decided to go home. ‘Oh man I forgot. I cancelled one of the cabs, because I though I was to still be sick and not come back’, Sarah said. ‘Sarah its alright, Steph and I will walk home’, Billie said. ‘We will?’, Steph asked. After we had said goodbye they started the walk home. Steph put her arm around his shoulders and used her other hand to fix he’s tie while they we’re walking. ‘You know tonight was nice’, he whispered. ‘Yeah it was’, Steph said ‘Billie, fix you hair’, ‘Why?’, he asked. ‘Just 'cause If I’m gonna be with someone I want them to look decent’, she said. He flicked he’s finger though he’s hair and then put his arm around Steph. ‘Ahh I was thinking. I might go see my place tonight. Mom's not going to be there, and I need some more stuff’, Billie said. ‘You want me to come with you. I don’t want you walking alone in the dark’, Steph said concerning tone. ‘Nah I’ll drop you off at home, make sure your safe and then go to my place and return’, Billie told her as they approached the house. ‘Alright but be careful. You don’t know what you might run into at this time of night’, Steph said as she gave him a hug as if it would be his last and walked though the gate, up to the house.
‘Well you two took your time’, Mike said as Steph walked in the door ‘What there’s only one of you!’. ‘Yeah Billie wanted to go past his place to get some more stuff, and he didn’t want me to go with him. Something about its not safe’, Steph managed to get out. Steph made her way over to the couch and slumped down. Mike and Tina, we’re getting up to go to the ‘spare bedroom’ and Tre was by himself. ‘Where’s Sarah?’, I asked. ‘Oh she’s asleep on your bed, 'cause she’s not feeling 100% still’, Tre murmured. ‘Ahh okay’, Steph said sitting down next to him. The watched TV for a while. They both weren’t moving closer to each-other. *Maybe Tre’s sorted himself out now* Steph thought. *No here we go* His arm was around her already. ‘What you and Billie talk about in the playground?’, he asked. ‘Just stuff, you know. Nothing serious’, Steph told him. Tre used he’s free hand to grab Steph’s arm and put it over him. Steph was starting to worry. *What if Billie walked in right now?* she began thinking. Tre lowered his head slightly to get a kiss. ‘Tre this cant happen’, Steph stoped him. ‘What do you mean? Steph I’m only having fun with you’, He told her. ‘Yeah fun or no fun, its getting a little awkward’, Ste replied. ‘All you had to do was push me away or tell me you didn’t want me to and I would have stopped’, He told her. ‘Tre come on, you know I could say stuff like that’, Steph said. As they we’re talking Mike came out. ‘Tina’s fallen asleep. So I guess I’m out here with you guys’, He said. ‘You know Billie, should have been back by now’, Steph said. ‘Yeah. He’s taken he’s time. Maybe I should walk up and see if he’s alright?’, Mike suggested. ‘No I’m coming with you’, Steph said. ‘No you stay here. Tre stay with her. I don’t want you getting hurt. Bill would kill me’, Mike told her. ‘Well don’t be long then. Oh and be careful’, Steph said. ‘Yeah I’ll be fine’, and with that Mike left. ‘You think he’s gonna be alright?’, Steph asked Tre. ‘Yeah he’ll be fine. Just relax’, Tre told her. A half hour later Tina and Sarah had left. The house only had Tre and Steph in it. It was quiet to quiet. They watched TV for a few hours, but it only seemed to feel like a few minutes until the phone rang. Tre answered. ‘Yeah mate calm down and tell me……yeah she’s fine…..why what happened to him….alright we’ll see you there’. ‘Steph we gotta get down to the hospital’, Tre said nervously. Steph’s heart rate was starting to speed up. ‘Why? Tre tell me what’s wrong before we leave’, Steph said trying not to panic. ‘No you can hear it from them, trust me’, Tre said grabbing Steph’s hand and rushing out the door.
They ran all the way to the hospital since, Mike had taken he’s keys with him, they had no form of transport. Once they had gotten to the hospital *St Vincent’s if anyone wanted to know* They ran up to the admin desk. They we’re out of breath, sweating and starting to become dizzy. ‘Steph, Tre’, a voice screamed the turned to see Mike running up to them. ‘Mike, where’s Billie? Is he alright? What’s wrong with him? Is he going to be okay?’, the two started. ‘Yeah come have a look at him’, Mike said taken him to the ward Billie was taken to. They looked though the windows as visiting hours had not started and they we’re not allowed in. Also because of the fact, doctors we’re in standing all around him. Tears started to swell in Steph’s eyes. Mike and Tre both put and arm around her. ‘What happened to him Mikey?’, Steph asked innocently. ‘He went home and had a joint, his step-father caught him, they had a fight and I found him unconscious on the veranda when I got there’, Mike whispered to her, but loud enough for Tre to hear as well. ‘Why would he’s step father have a fight with him for having a joint? He knows Billie takes them’, Steph thought out aloud. ‘OMG I know’, Steph blurted out after a few minutes of silence. ‘Billie told me, that his mother didn’t want him to see her in the state she was in, but the day after school that we went, Billie’s step dad was sitting in the lounge, and Bill walked right past into his room. He’s step dad got up and walked out the back to the outside of he’s bedroom window. That’s why he wasn’t taking he’s eyes of the window when I walked in’, Steph stuttered to say. ‘I should have realized and said something’, she continued and then started crying. ‘Steph its alright, you didn’t know it was going to result in something like this. You have to calm down’, Mike said. Tre and he both hugged her. Steph though continued crying. ‘You can go in now if you like’, said a doctor from the door ‘But first I’ll have to ask, who the 3 of you are’, she demanded. ‘Ahh well we’re he’s best friends and this is he’s girlfriend’, Tre spat out. ‘Ahh that would make sense, he’s been asking to see you miss’, she said looking at Steph. ‘He has?’, she asked nervously. ‘Yes, well that was before he started to fall asleep’, she told them. ‘Oh, okay then’, Steph replied. The three of them thanked the nurse for letting them see Billie and walked into the room. Billie lay asleep on the bed. There were drips and cords coming out of him. ‘I don’t wanna be here and see him like this’; Steph said starting to make tears again. ‘No, come on the nurse said he was asking to see you. You have to come in’, Tre told her, pushing her towards the bed. The three of them stood looking over him for a while. Mike brought out a chair and Steph sat down with the two of them behind her. ‘Hold his hand’, Mike told her. Nervously Steph lifted the sheets and grabbed Billie’s hand. They were cold as usual. The linked their fingers and moved her chair closer to wards him. ‘Well say something to him’, Tre told her. ‘Like what?’, Steph replied. ‘That you love him’, Mike suggested. ‘Yeah say that’, Tre agreed. ‘No way he’s asleep, he wont hear it’, Steph said wiping the tears from her eyes. ‘He might, you never know’, Mike said.
Over the next four days the 3 of them stayed at the hospital in Billie’s ward, waiting for him to awake. They only moved when necessary, and only when home for a few minutes to change and freshen up. ‘Its been four days. How do we know he’s going to wake up?’, Steph asked. ‘You just have to let fate keep running. He will. He know’c there are people who love him here. He’ll wake eventually’, Tre comforted her. ‘Have you gotten contact with his mum?’, Steph asked. ‘No, she hasn’t been able to be reached since the night of the formal, which wasn’t long ago’, Mike said taking a deep breath in. Steph couldn’t take this she had to walk away for a while. She left the two boys to keep watch over Billie and walked outside up and down the halls. While she was gone, Billie started to open he’s eyes. ‘Mikey, Tre, what are you to doing here? Where the hell am I?’. ‘Billie, you awake’, Tre stuttered. ‘Yeah, where am I?’, he asked again. ‘Your in hospital mate. Mike found you on your balcony a few nights ago’, Tre continued. ‘What no way. I was on my way home with Steph’,. Mike and Tre told Billie the rest of what had happened since he’s memory of the accident had been wiped clear. ‘So is Steph alright?’, Billie asked. ‘Yeah she’s walking the halls. She was gonna tell you something, but you we’re still like asleep so she never did’, Tre told him. *She was? I wonder what that was going to be* Billie thought. ‘Can you get her in, don’t tell her I’m awake though’, He asked. Mike called Steph from the doorway he was resting on. She walked over as fast as she could. ‘Is he awake?’, she asked quickly. ‘No Tre and I have to go get more caffeine, you need to be in here watching him for a few minutes’, Mike said winking at Tre. Steph didn’t seem to notice this though. ‘Alright’, said Steph taking the chair from Tre as the two boys left. She got up closed the door and sat back down once more, taking Billie’s hand in her own again. She breathed in deeply. *Maybe I should just say something. Before its to late* She thought. She breathed deeply again. The room was quiet, all you could hear was the world outside. She started. ‘Billie, I don’t know if you can hear me or not. I’m guessing you cant, but I’m going to tell you all of this cos I cant keep it in anymore’, she paused breathing again. ‘I guess, what I’m like trying to say is, that well the last few weeks have brought us closer together. Maybe its because we’re older than the first time I met you. I don’t know, but my feelings towards you have changed. I don’t see you as a friend anymore. I see you as more than that. I wish, I could have you as more than that but things keep getting in the way and it feels like its never going to happen. I guess I just wanted to tell you those 3 small words and I never got the chance to…so I…’, Steph was cut off my a doctor walking in. ‘Sorry sweetie is it alright, If I have Billie for a few minutes I need to run a few more tests to see if I can release him tonight’, she told Steph. ‘Yeah sure. I’ll go find the boys’, Steph said getting up and walking out. She closed the door behind her, and walked up the hall. ‘Hey what you doing out here?’, Tre asked walking up to her. ‘A doctor needed some time with him’, Steph replied ‘Something about releasing him tonight maybe’. Steph moved closer to Tre and hugged him. She want crying, bust she felt like she was going to. ‘You’ve been her a long time. I might take you home’, Tre suggested ‘But first we’ll tell Mike what you told me. Once they had found Mike the two of them set off home. It was dark and cold and the wind was growing stronger. By the time they had gotten to the house it started raining. It seemed like when ever one of them was crying the rain would always come. Tre sat Steph down on the couch and offered to get her anything she wanted. ‘No its alright. Just come sit with me’, she asked. Tre did as he was asked, and comforted her for a while, before the two fell asleep.
The next morning Tre had already awoken and Steph was still sleeping on the couch. ‘Hey, where is she?’, a voice asked as Tre opened the door. ‘The couch sleeping. I see they let you out’, he replied. ‘Yeah I asked them if I could be released a day early. Sorry I’m late I had to go see my mum and tell her everything was okay’, the voice finished. Steph felt a cold hand touch her, and she almost instantly opened her eyes. *its probably just Tre playing a gag on me* ‘Steph wake up’, the voice told her. ‘Just 5 more minutes’, she answered rolling over. She heard laughing. ‘No Steph come on darling, wake up’, the voice told her again. She sat her self up, not fully opening her eyes. She could see a thing. She could just make out a person infront of her. She gently rubbed her eyes. The world was becoming clearer. It was Billie. “OMG your alright’, she screamed wrapping her arms around him. ‘Yeah. Yeah I’m fine’, he whispered to her, holding her tighter. They started having a whispered convocation. ‘I didn’t think you we’re gonna be alright’, Steph told him. ‘Of course I was going to be alright’, he answered.
‘I don’t believe that happened to you’.
‘Neither do I’.
‘I’m never letting you go alone again anywhere’.
‘I don’t wanna go alone anywhere ever again’.
She held each other for a few more minutes. Steph’s eyes gleaming with tears and happiness. The phone rang. Mike answered. He hung up quickly, to quickly. ‘Billie, your step dads coming for you’, Mike mumbled. Billie dropped Steph out of his arms and ran for the door, running up the street till he couldn’t be seen. Steph began to cry again. ‘Come on we have to go find him’, she said, getting Mike to grab he’s keys and getting Tre to jump into the car…..
After a few hours of being at the formal. *and finally getting Steph and Billie to dance* the 6 of them decided to go home. ‘Oh man I forgot. I cancelled one of the cabs, because I though I was to still be sick and not come back’, Sarah said. ‘Sarah its alright, Steph and I will walk home’, Billie said. ‘We will?’, Steph asked. After we had said goodbye they started the walk home. Steph put her arm around his shoulders and used her other hand to fix he’s tie while they we’re walking. ‘You know tonight was nice’, he whispered. ‘Yeah it was’, Steph said ‘Billie, fix you hair’, ‘Why?’, he asked. ‘Just 'cause If I’m gonna be with someone I want them to look decent’, she said. He flicked he’s finger though he’s hair and then put his arm around Steph. ‘Ahh I was thinking. I might go see my place tonight. Mom's not going to be there, and I need some more stuff’, Billie said. ‘You want me to come with you. I don’t want you walking alone in the dark’, Steph said concerning tone. ‘Nah I’ll drop you off at home, make sure your safe and then go to my place and return’, Billie told her as they approached the house. ‘Alright but be careful. You don’t know what you might run into at this time of night’, Steph said as she gave him a hug as if it would be his last and walked though the gate, up to the house.
‘Well you two took your time’, Mike said as Steph walked in the door ‘What there’s only one of you!’. ‘Yeah Billie wanted to go past his place to get some more stuff, and he didn’t want me to go with him. Something about its not safe’, Steph managed to get out. Steph made her way over to the couch and slumped down. Mike and Tina, we’re getting up to go to the ‘spare bedroom’ and Tre was by himself. ‘Where’s Sarah?’, I asked. ‘Oh she’s asleep on your bed, 'cause she’s not feeling 100% still’, Tre murmured. ‘Ahh okay’, Steph said sitting down next to him. The watched TV for a while. They both weren’t moving closer to each-other. *Maybe Tre’s sorted himself out now* Steph thought. *No here we go* His arm was around her already. ‘What you and Billie talk about in the playground?’, he asked. ‘Just stuff, you know. Nothing serious’, Steph told him. Tre used he’s free hand to grab Steph’s arm and put it over him. Steph was starting to worry. *What if Billie walked in right now?* she began thinking. Tre lowered his head slightly to get a kiss. ‘Tre this cant happen’, Steph stoped him. ‘What do you mean? Steph I’m only having fun with you’, He told her. ‘Yeah fun or no fun, its getting a little awkward’, Ste replied. ‘All you had to do was push me away or tell me you didn’t want me to and I would have stopped’, He told her. ‘Tre come on, you know I could say stuff like that’, Steph said. As they we’re talking Mike came out. ‘Tina’s fallen asleep. So I guess I’m out here with you guys’, He said. ‘You know Billie, should have been back by now’, Steph said. ‘Yeah. He’s taken he’s time. Maybe I should walk up and see if he’s alright?’, Mike suggested. ‘No I’m coming with you’, Steph said. ‘No you stay here. Tre stay with her. I don’t want you getting hurt. Bill would kill me’, Mike told her. ‘Well don’t be long then. Oh and be careful’, Steph said. ‘Yeah I’ll be fine’, and with that Mike left. ‘You think he’s gonna be alright?’, Steph asked Tre. ‘Yeah he’ll be fine. Just relax’, Tre told her. A half hour later Tina and Sarah had left. The house only had Tre and Steph in it. It was quiet to quiet. They watched TV for a few hours, but it only seemed to feel like a few minutes until the phone rang. Tre answered. ‘Yeah mate calm down and tell me……yeah she’s fine…..why what happened to him….alright we’ll see you there’. ‘Steph we gotta get down to the hospital’, Tre said nervously. Steph’s heart rate was starting to speed up. ‘Why? Tre tell me what’s wrong before we leave’, Steph said trying not to panic. ‘No you can hear it from them, trust me’, Tre said grabbing Steph’s hand and rushing out the door.
They ran all the way to the hospital since, Mike had taken he’s keys with him, they had no form of transport. Once they had gotten to the hospital *St Vincent’s if anyone wanted to know* They ran up to the admin desk. They we’re out of breath, sweating and starting to become dizzy. ‘Steph, Tre’, a voice screamed the turned to see Mike running up to them. ‘Mike, where’s Billie? Is he alright? What’s wrong with him? Is he going to be okay?’, the two started. ‘Yeah come have a look at him’, Mike said taken him to the ward Billie was taken to. They looked though the windows as visiting hours had not started and they we’re not allowed in. Also because of the fact, doctors we’re in standing all around him. Tears started to swell in Steph’s eyes. Mike and Tre both put and arm around her. ‘What happened to him Mikey?’, Steph asked innocently. ‘He went home and had a joint, his step-father caught him, they had a fight and I found him unconscious on the veranda when I got there’, Mike whispered to her, but loud enough for Tre to hear as well. ‘Why would he’s step father have a fight with him for having a joint? He knows Billie takes them’, Steph thought out aloud. ‘OMG I know’, Steph blurted out after a few minutes of silence. ‘Billie told me, that his mother didn’t want him to see her in the state she was in, but the day after school that we went, Billie’s step dad was sitting in the lounge, and Bill walked right past into his room. He’s step dad got up and walked out the back to the outside of he’s bedroom window. That’s why he wasn’t taking he’s eyes of the window when I walked in’, Steph stuttered to say. ‘I should have realized and said something’, she continued and then started crying. ‘Steph its alright, you didn’t know it was going to result in something like this. You have to calm down’, Mike said. Tre and he both hugged her. Steph though continued crying. ‘You can go in now if you like’, said a doctor from the door ‘But first I’ll have to ask, who the 3 of you are’, she demanded. ‘Ahh well we’re he’s best friends and this is he’s girlfriend’, Tre spat out. ‘Ahh that would make sense, he’s been asking to see you miss’, she said looking at Steph. ‘He has?’, she asked nervously. ‘Yes, well that was before he started to fall asleep’, she told them. ‘Oh, okay then’, Steph replied. The three of them thanked the nurse for letting them see Billie and walked into the room. Billie lay asleep on the bed. There were drips and cords coming out of him. ‘I don’t wanna be here and see him like this’; Steph said starting to make tears again. ‘No, come on the nurse said he was asking to see you. You have to come in’, Tre told her, pushing her towards the bed. The three of them stood looking over him for a while. Mike brought out a chair and Steph sat down with the two of them behind her. ‘Hold his hand’, Mike told her. Nervously Steph lifted the sheets and grabbed Billie’s hand. They were cold as usual. The linked their fingers and moved her chair closer to wards him. ‘Well say something to him’, Tre told her. ‘Like what?’, Steph replied. ‘That you love him’, Mike suggested. ‘Yeah say that’, Tre agreed. ‘No way he’s asleep, he wont hear it’, Steph said wiping the tears from her eyes. ‘He might, you never know’, Mike said.
Over the next four days the 3 of them stayed at the hospital in Billie’s ward, waiting for him to awake. They only moved when necessary, and only when home for a few minutes to change and freshen up. ‘Its been four days. How do we know he’s going to wake up?’, Steph asked. ‘You just have to let fate keep running. He will. He know’c there are people who love him here. He’ll wake eventually’, Tre comforted her. ‘Have you gotten contact with his mum?’, Steph asked. ‘No, she hasn’t been able to be reached since the night of the formal, which wasn’t long ago’, Mike said taking a deep breath in. Steph couldn’t take this she had to walk away for a while. She left the two boys to keep watch over Billie and walked outside up and down the halls. While she was gone, Billie started to open he’s eyes. ‘Mikey, Tre, what are you to doing here? Where the hell am I?’. ‘Billie, you awake’, Tre stuttered. ‘Yeah, where am I?’, he asked again. ‘Your in hospital mate. Mike found you on your balcony a few nights ago’, Tre continued. ‘What no way. I was on my way home with Steph’,. Mike and Tre told Billie the rest of what had happened since he’s memory of the accident had been wiped clear. ‘So is Steph alright?’, Billie asked. ‘Yeah she’s walking the halls. She was gonna tell you something, but you we’re still like asleep so she never did’, Tre told him. *She was? I wonder what that was going to be* Billie thought. ‘Can you get her in, don’t tell her I’m awake though’, He asked. Mike called Steph from the doorway he was resting on. She walked over as fast as she could. ‘Is he awake?’, she asked quickly. ‘No Tre and I have to go get more caffeine, you need to be in here watching him for a few minutes’, Mike said winking at Tre. Steph didn’t seem to notice this though. ‘Alright’, said Steph taking the chair from Tre as the two boys left. She got up closed the door and sat back down once more, taking Billie’s hand in her own again. She breathed in deeply. *Maybe I should just say something. Before its to late* She thought. She breathed deeply again. The room was quiet, all you could hear was the world outside. She started. ‘Billie, I don’t know if you can hear me or not. I’m guessing you cant, but I’m going to tell you all of this cos I cant keep it in anymore’, she paused breathing again. ‘I guess, what I’m like trying to say is, that well the last few weeks have brought us closer together. Maybe its because we’re older than the first time I met you. I don’t know, but my feelings towards you have changed. I don’t see you as a friend anymore. I see you as more than that. I wish, I could have you as more than that but things keep getting in the way and it feels like its never going to happen. I guess I just wanted to tell you those 3 small words and I never got the chance to…so I…’, Steph was cut off my a doctor walking in. ‘Sorry sweetie is it alright, If I have Billie for a few minutes I need to run a few more tests to see if I can release him tonight’, she told Steph. ‘Yeah sure. I’ll go find the boys’, Steph said getting up and walking out. She closed the door behind her, and walked up the hall. ‘Hey what you doing out here?’, Tre asked walking up to her. ‘A doctor needed some time with him’, Steph replied ‘Something about releasing him tonight maybe’. Steph moved closer to Tre and hugged him. She want crying, bust she felt like she was going to. ‘You’ve been her a long time. I might take you home’, Tre suggested ‘But first we’ll tell Mike what you told me. Once they had found Mike the two of them set off home. It was dark and cold and the wind was growing stronger. By the time they had gotten to the house it started raining. It seemed like when ever one of them was crying the rain would always come. Tre sat Steph down on the couch and offered to get her anything she wanted. ‘No its alright. Just come sit with me’, she asked. Tre did as he was asked, and comforted her for a while, before the two fell asleep.
The next morning Tre had already awoken and Steph was still sleeping on the couch. ‘Hey, where is she?’, a voice asked as Tre opened the door. ‘The couch sleeping. I see they let you out’, he replied. ‘Yeah I asked them if I could be released a day early. Sorry I’m late I had to go see my mum and tell her everything was okay’, the voice finished. Steph felt a cold hand touch her, and she almost instantly opened her eyes. *its probably just Tre playing a gag on me* ‘Steph wake up’, the voice told her. ‘Just 5 more minutes’, she answered rolling over. She heard laughing. ‘No Steph come on darling, wake up’, the voice told her again. She sat her self up, not fully opening her eyes. She could see a thing. She could just make out a person infront of her. She gently rubbed her eyes. The world was becoming clearer. It was Billie. “OMG your alright’, she screamed wrapping her arms around him. ‘Yeah. Yeah I’m fine’, he whispered to her, holding her tighter. They started having a whispered convocation. ‘I didn’t think you we’re gonna be alright’, Steph told him. ‘Of course I was going to be alright’, he answered.
‘I don’t believe that happened to you’.
‘Neither do I’.
‘I’m never letting you go alone again anywhere’.
‘I don’t wanna go alone anywhere ever again’.
She held each other for a few more minutes. Steph’s eyes gleaming with tears and happiness. The phone rang. Mike answered. He hung up quickly, to quickly. ‘Billie, your step dads coming for you’, Mike mumbled. Billie dropped Steph out of his arms and ran for the door, running up the street till he couldn’t be seen. Steph began to cry again. ‘Come on we have to go find him’, she said, getting Mike to grab he’s keys and getting Tre to jump into the car…..
